Tag Archives: TEDxYouth@TheSchool

I first encountered Keith Jensen‘s Free Art project in September. I passed by a piece of Seinfeld-inspired art in New York City on my way home from work. The sign atop declared:

FREE ART
If having this art will make your day better, then it’s yours.
Please only take this art if you’ll enjoy it. Please don’t resell.
If you have Instragram or Facebook, please post a photo and tag it. In not, it’s ok – just enjoy it.
Website: clearlyk.com
Twitter: @paintpenart
Instagram: @keithjensen
Facebook: facebook.com/paintpenart

I thought the whole concept was awesome, and I tweeted about it with @paintpenart. It occurred to me that Keith would be a great speaker for TEDxYouth@TheSchool in November, as he’s clearly doing something cool and inspiring and exemplified this year’s theme: Dream Big…Then Do It! I loved that Keith’s Free Art Project helped bridge the art-divide in a town where tickets to visit the Museum of Modern Art cost up to $25. Also, I learned that Keith is equally artistic and altruistic, and he volunteers at Art Start teaching art classes to homeless children. Keith’s TEDxYouth@TheSchool video is below:

Last week, Keith was part of The School at Columbia University’s inaugural Social Action Panel. He talked with our 8th graders about his work, art, motivations, and volunteering. At the end, Keith caused an audible buzz of excitement when he announced he’d be leaving a piece of his Free Art for a student to find. Below is his tweet and a shot of the lucky kid who had been checking @paintpenart’s Twitter feed all morning…